A Shot at Something New
by awkwardblacklesbian
Summary: Callie Torres is a world-class orthopedic surgeon struggling to move on after an emotionally abusive long-term relationship. Arizona Robbins is a confident and newly single grad student who finds herself in Seattle with very little direction. Will an encounter between the two help them to discover something new, or will they each let the past cloud their potentially bright futures?
1. Chapter 1

**AN: This has kind of been in my head for a while more or less. A lot of the thanks goes to Cougarsbait, Calzonastories and my girlfriend for helping me edit. Enjoy. **

**Oh and to answer a question that will probably come up... **

**No, this is not going to only be from Callie's perspective. I am excited to fully introduce Arizona next chapter, and to tell part of her back story. **

* * *

Sharpened steel danced along soft flesh, the scalpel held tightly in Dr. Calliope Torres' gloved hand. She watched blood begin to trickle from the precise incision, noting how its bright hue contrasted beautifully as it dripped down the patient's pale skin.

For Callie the first cut was always somewhat of a thrill, the start of another challenging surgery. But today that thrill was muted if not altogether absent. The butterflies that normally inhabited the pit of her stomach had been replaced by an engrossing sense of pressure in her chest.

"Clamp please." Callie took the requested instrument from her scrub nurse.

She was alone again after an almost 3 year relationship with fellow surgeon, Casey Briggs. And for the first time since the break-up Callie felt the full force of being abandoned pushing against her chest. For almost two months Callie had sequestered those feelings of resentment and insecurity by burying herself in work and the occasional blind date. She had tried to maintain the air of confidence that was to be expected from someone of her caliber.

But she didn't think that she could do it anymore.

"Can you hold that?"

"Yes, Dr. Torres."

Something had to change. But for now Callie had a job to do. She set her jaw and refocused her mind on the task at hand.

* * *

Callie pushed open the swinging door the led to the surgical prep room and glanced at the watch that adorned her wrist. Four hours. That's how long she had been in surgery. She pulled at the smothering surgical mask that covered her face and took a deep breath. Fresh air streamed from the industrial A/C unit above into welcoming lungs and she found herself thankful to finally be in a room that was void of the metallic stench of pooled blood.

A large, plain mirror hanging over the stainless-steel prep room sink gave her the chance to study her own reflection. For the first time she noticed unfamiliar lines at the corners of her eyes, presumably products of countless nights spent tossing and turning. Sleep had managed to evade her for the past few weeks, her mind choosing to subject her to reruns of moments that she'd rather forget.

Callie quickly shook those thoughts from her mind and reminded herself that she needed to look professional, something that she couldn't do by letting her personal life interfere with her emotions. She quickly adjusted the thin silver chain that hung from her neck, washed aching hands, and exited the small room.

"Torres!" Mark Sloan's distinctive voice echoed through the harshly lit hallway. "Hey, Torres! I've been looking all over for you..."

Callie watched her best friend approach, rolling her eyes as he displayed his trademark cocky grin.

"What's up?" She pulled the red and white, geometrically patterned scrub cap from her head and tossed her loose curls in an attempt to make them appear a bit less unruly.

"...What's up?" Mark frowned. "Is that how you greet me now?" He bit into a half eaten apple and nudged his unresponsive friend, who gave him a side glare. "Hey, it's cool, Torres. I see how it is." Mark chewed a bit more. "I was kind of expecting you in the caf earlier though. You gonna tell me what happened?"

Callie shrugged. "The same thing that happens whenever I try to make plans, Mark. The surgery ran long."

"Oh. Which one?"

"My nine o' clock. Mayfield. Late 50's. Works at a small vineyard." Callie gestured with her hand as she spoke. "He had really bad swelling in his leg."

"Ooooh. Yeah, I remember you mentioning him. Bone infection?"

Callie nodded. "Yup."

"Whew. That's rough."

"I mean... it was a pain in the ass. Nothing I haven't seen before though." Callie felt her phone buzz and slipped a hand into her scrub pocket. "I'll uh..." She cleared her throat, "I'll need your help reconstructing his leg if you don't mind."

Mark noticed a change in Callie's demeanor as her eyes traced over the screen.

"You alright, Cal?"

"Yeah, I'm fine... a little tired." She redirected the conversation. "So you'll help?"

Mark knew that Callie wasn't 'fine'. His friend had slipped into an emotional hole after Casey left her and had been acting oddly ever since. It was clear that the break-up had hurt Callie in a way that she'd never been hurt before and stolen that last bit of confidence that was keeping her head high. But he wasn't going to push her to admit it. That would inevitably just cause her to become defensive.

They would talk when she was ready.

"Yeah, no problem Torres. I'll help in any way that I can. You know that."

Callie gave him a diluted smile before slipping the phone back into her pocket.

"So!" She injected a bit of enthusiasm into her voice. "Still wanna do coffee, or are you busy?"

"Oh, I'm totally down." Mark tossed his apple core into a nearby trash bin. "You're buying."

* * *

The typical mid-day buzz filled the halls of the hospital: incessant beeping of heart monitors, voices of worried loved ones, and idle chatter of residents waiting for their next case mixed into a rhythmic track of background noise. Callie walked beside Mark, half way listening as he animatedly recapped his latest fling.

As they rounded the corner, his words tapered off and they immediately noticed an unusually long line forming. It was normal for a coffee cart in any hospital to be busy, but Callie had never seen it this backed up.

"Is this for real?!"

Mark shrugged. "Wanna just go to the one by Peds? The nurses are way hotter over there anyway."

Callie scoffed. "And risk running into my one night stand from Joe's? I'll pass. You need to stop hounding the nurses anyway. I swear, if on-call room sex gets banned in this hospital, it will be your fault."

He ignored her critique of his sex life. "Why pass? She was hot."

Mark had a point. She probably should have called. The peds surgeon had been nice enough. But another at-work relationship just wasn't appealing at the moment, nor was a hospital fling.

Callie's eyebrows rose in agreement.

"True. I'd still rather not."

She felt her phone buzz again.

"Speaking of hot... how'd things go for you last night with that redhead?" He pointed towards the device in her hands and let a smirk cross his face. "That her?"

"Hannah? Ugh, no. Definitely not her."

"Oh, c'mon." The look on Callie's face conveyed her disapproval. "She couldn't have been that bad..."

"You don't think so?" Callie looked up. "We stopped hitting it off fifteen minutes into dinner. She laughed at my bisexuality... laughed!"

"You're kiddin' me...?" Mark scratched his head and mumbled to himself, "I thought I made that clear on your profile."

"Obviously not. I couldn't get her to stop questioning me. Apparently I shouldn't play both sides of the fence."

Steel blue eyes narrowed. "Ouch..."

"Yeah, ouch." She leaned in for emphasis. "That is the last time I ever let you convince me to go on a date based on some stupid website."

Mark had been trying desperately to get her back into the dating game, and so far it hadn't gone very smoothly. In all honesty, he felt badly about it, but that didn't stop him from laughing.

"It's really not funny, Mark."

He dramatically faked an injury when Callie dug an elbow into his side.

"Then why am I laughing?"

"Because you're an asshole." He received another jab in his side.

"Ah... shit... hey, hey... stop!"

Mark turned to retaliate, causing Callie to squeal loudly.

"...Really guys? Not this again."

The surgeons' childish behavior was interrupted. They'd been so wrapped with each other that they had failed to notice a colleague approaching.

"Huh?" Both uttered the same response as they became aware of Cristina Yang's small, yet commanding presence.

"You two are messing around again, aren't you?" The petite woman ran her hand through long, jet black hair. "Not that I care what you do with your lives, but at least have the decency to let me know ahead of time." She glared at the pair. "I don't want a repeat of our first New Year's Eve as roommates, Torres. I'll move out."

A frown appeared as she thought back to that night. She'd entered the apartment that she shared with Callie at 3:00 am expecting Callie to be passed out in her room. Instead, Cristina was greeted with the sight of her roommate spread eagle on the living room couch and Mark Sloan's bare, pasty ass.

"Oh God!" Callie cringed at the memory. "No no no, you're way off base Cristina! I'm not that desperate... or drunk."

Mark quickly stood up for himself. "Whoa... hey now! Mark Sloan is never a desperation lay!" He pointed towards his body. "You so wanted this."

Callie smiled and winked at her friend to let him know that she was just kidding before looking back at Yang.

"So, what'd you need, Yang?" Callie asked. She'd known her roommate long enough to know that she didn't voluntarily initiate small talk unless she wanted or needed something that she couldn't get herself.

"Coffee." Cristina huffed. "There's a new procedure going on in five minutes that I want to see but some new chick is being trained here and I don't wanna suffer because of her incompetence. Hell, if I go to the back of the line I'll be here all day."

She continued when the pair didn't respond.

"Sooo... can you guys grab me some coffee and a granola bar or somethin'? I'll be in gallery 6."

Mark shook his head, "why don't you go to a different cart?"

Cristina scoffed at his suggestion. "The selection is always better here and you know it." Yang squeezed herself into the line in front of the pair and turned her back, choosing to ignore the few disgruntled people that had noticed her skipping the line. "You guys are useless. I'll get it myself." She raised her voice. "Even though Callie owes me. She ate all of the Special-K and left the empty box on top of the refrigerator."

The taller woman shrugged, unashamed of her own actions. Every once in a while Cristina needed a dose of her own medicine.

"Yeah, like you've never done that bef-"

"Next, please!"

An enthusiastic voice interrupted their banter and the trio turned toward the source.

"Yup. That's the new girl."

"...wow." Mark liked what he saw. He wasn't that much of a coffee drinker but had a feeling that he'd be partaking more often now.

Cristina stepped up first with the plastic surgeon following closely behind her.

"I just need two brownie bars and a black coffee, nothing fancy. I'll make it easy on ya, new girl." Mark nudged her. "What? Oh. Please?"

Callie stood frozen in the same spot she'd been in when they'd been called up to the counter. Her gaze was fixed onto the 'new girl' currently taking Cristina's order.

There was nothing special about the standard apron, polo, khakis and visor that all of the baristas were required to wear. It was the woman's smile that'd caught Callie's attention... and her eyes. It didn't help that her nose scrunched up adorably as she focused on entering in the order correctly while her manager watched.

Mark looked back at his motionless friend whose jaw was hanging open slightly. He took a couple steps backwards and grabbed Callie by the arm, discreetly pulling her up to the coffee cart.

Mark lowered his voice to a whisper, "Cal, I suggest you get it together before you scare the poor girl."

"What?"

"Don't play dumb with me, Torres. I know when yo-"

Callie cut him off, "I was just looking at the menu," and brushing past. She pretended to peruse a display of neatly arranged slices of pound cake.

Mark sighed. "Whatever you say." He knew Callie like the back of his hand and she was obviously interested in the blonde at the register. He had to give it to her... the woman was gorgeous.

The problem was that Callie didn't usually hold her composure well in front of gorgeous women.

"What can I get for you?"

Callie looked down at the shorter woman and was instantly thrown off by how blue her eyes were close up.

"...Ma'am?"

She squinted her eyes. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Can I get you anything?"

"Uh...yeah." Callie laughed nervously. "What would you suggest?"

Callie heard Mark lose control of his laughter somewhere behind her and her face instantly flushed red.

Blue eyes flicked over to the graying surgeon attempting to hide his face in his sleeve before focusing back on Callie.

She smiled knowingly. "Well, let's see. I'm new here so you probably know more than me but so far I happen to love the pound cake," her voice was friendly, a little cheery, "the uh... the mocha is pretty good too." Her manager looked on from behind one of the espresso machines and smiled approvingly at the recommendation.

Callie didn't even like pound cake. She found it to be a bit on the heavy side. But she was incapable of making independent decisions at the moment.

"O-okay. Yeah, I'll take a slice of that and a mocha then. Oh, um and a medium breakfast blend."

"Alright. Just one second..." The barista's brow knitted as she scanned the register for the proper buttons.

Callie smiled, "take your time."

"Oookay... so that'll be $17- no- um, yea 17.24."

Callie frowned at the price.

"Oh! The doctor that was with you said that you'd pay for her order as well." Blue eyes blinked expectantly.

Callie scanned the area for Cristina, realizing that she'd taken off with her free goodies. She sighed and handed over her debit card. For some reason she felt her body tense up when the barista's hand lightly brushed against her own.

When she finished paying she walked over to the pick-up counter where another employee handed over her coffee and cake. As she walked back over to Mark she unintentionally made eye contact with the woman that had taken her order and without thinking, waved awkwardly.

The barista looked confused for a moment, but flashed a small smile in Callie's direction before returning her attention to the register.

"Smooth, Torres. Real smooth."

"Seriously, shut up." Callie's face was beet red. She handed over Mark's coffee and the unwanted pound cake as she took a long drink from her mocha.

Mark gladly accepted the food. "Fine." He broke off a corner and shoved it into his mouth. "Wanna grab a drink at Joe's after work?"

She didn't answer.

"I'll take that as a yes. Find me after your shift."

"Yeah... whatever." Callie yelled over her shoulder as she retreated back down the hallway and towards her wing.

She could do later. What she couldn't do was linger in the vicinity and risk making a fool of herself all over again.

* * *

Music poured from strategically placed speakers in one of Seattle's most popular bars, its steady rhythm fusing with the bittersweet, nutty smell of cigar smoke and free flowing spirits. Callie and Mark sat together at a high top wooden table near the edge of the crowded dance floor chatting over a tray of mixed drinks and a couple rounds of shots.

"Here's to..." Mark's voice came out a bit gravelly and he cleared his throat before continuing, "to... moving on!"

"Mm... yes! To moving on!" Callie yelled as she chewed on some olives that she'd snatched from the bar. The alcohol was starting to hit her and she could already feel herself loosening up. It felt good.

Mark raised his drink and nodded across the table. Their glasses clinked together and he hastily swallowed the bitter liquid.

"Whoo!" Mark cringed. "Damn that's good. Wanna do another one?"

Callie tossed back her own tequila shot and shivered when the cheap well-liquor burned a path through her system.

"Can't. I've got work tomorrow. I asked chief for some extra shifts."

"C'mon, Torres. Back in the day you'd knock em' back."

"Yeah, that was before I was over an entire department."

"Fair enough." Mark took a long swig from his beer bottle.

A moment of silence passed and Mark began fidgeting with his class ring, twisting the bulky object around his finger. He'd planned to talk to Callie about a few things, but just didn't know how to proceed.

"She texted me."

The abrupt statement interrupted his thoughts.

"Who?"

"Casey. She texted me this morning."

"Oh."

Callie's voice cracked. "Yeah." She paused for a second, her lips beginning to tremble. "I hate her, Mark. Well I feel like I hate her. But something in me was excited when I saw the number pop up."

"What'd she want?" he asked flatly.

"She didn't really want anything. But she is thinking of coming back to Seattle for a while. Something about a special case coming in."

The thought of seeing her again infuriated Mark. Her return would just make it harder for Callie to move on with her life, but he chose to bite his tongue on the issue.

"Did you respond?"

Callie exhaled loudly. "I did. I just said that she should do whatever she felt was right for her." A tear escaped from the corner of her eye. "I tried to act like I didn't care, but I do. I still care about her."

Mark reached over the table and wiped Callie's tear away with his thumb.

"Hey... Cal c'mon. She's not worth it."

"I know." Her voice was small.

She did know. Someone who treated her like Casey did wasn't worth crying over. But knowing and acting upon that knowledge were two different things. Callie was still struggling to accomplish the latter.

"Okay." Mark thought for a second about how he should proceed. "How about... we put this on the shelf for a while and discuss it a bit later? You should unwind and think it over first."

Callie nodded as she continued wiping at her eyes with the side of her hands.

"I think that we should be talking about that ridiculously sexy blonde you had your eye on today."

Callie laughed and sniffled. "Was I that obvious?"

"Honestly? Yeah, you were."

"Oh, God. I'm so embarrassed. I know she saw you laughing your ass off behind me."

"I couldn't help it, but don't be embarrassed. She seemed flattered."

Callie raised an eyebrow. "You think?"

"Definitely, Torres. I know the difference between creeped out and flattered."

They both chuckled quietly, creating a small lull in the conversation. Mark picked up a shot and nudged the last one over to Callie.

"So, you still wanna pass?" A small smirk appeared at the corners of his lips.

Callie smiled and shook her head.

Her smile sent a wave of butterflies through Mark's stomach. This was the woman that he loved and would do anything to protect.

"Alright, Mark. One more."

"That's my girl."

* * *

**AN2: Thoughts? There is obviously a lot of development to be done. I intentionally left out certain things. Anyway, tell me if you want this to continue or if I should scrap it. I value everyone's opinion. Thanks. **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Alright, so I am going to continue. Not sure how many chapters this will end up being. Anyway, keep giving me your opinions, suggestions, etc. if you have the time because I love feedback. Enjoy. **

* * *

Seattle's early morning sunlight struggled to make itself known from behind a dense canopy of clouds. A few unrelenting rays emerged, however, and peaked through angled blinds, helping to illuminate Arizona Robbins' seated form. Her appearance was unusually disheveled, the result of having hastily thrown on an over-sized t-shirt and baggy sweatpants at the sound of a Skype call coming through.

"You settlin' in okay, champ?"

Bright blue eyes flicked up from the bowl in Arizona's lap, their focus now on her laptop screen. She scooped some more frosted flakes onto a spoon and haphazardly shoveled them into her mouth.

"Yeah... I guess you could say that." A small grin surfaced between full cheeks. Her gaze danced across the room while she chewed. In a rather short period of time she had managed to transform the apartment into her own.

"How's my hero doin-" A single drop of milk escaped down Arizona's chin for an instant but she quickly wiped it away with her sleeve. "Oops." She laughed. "Sorry."

"It's cool... and I'm good. I'm homesick, but good." Arizona saw a smirk appear on her brother's face. "I see you finally stopped living out of to-go boxes and went grocery shopping."

She glanced down at the cereal and smiled. "Uh. Yeah, I guess I got sick of eating leftover take-out."

"Ooo I hope you know that you're lucky. I'd go for some take-out right now..."

Arizona laughed. "I bet. Just make sure that you make it back so I can buy you that steak I promised."

"Oh, you know I will. I always do don't I?

"You do."

"So, you liking Seattle? It's beautiful, eh?"

Arizona shrugged. "It's okay so far. Beautiful, but nothing like San Diego. That's for sure."

"I'm sure it'll grow on you. You're pretty good at dealing with chan-"

A muffled voice suddenly called out in the background. Arizona was only able to make out their last name and Timothy's rank.

"Hey, 'Zona? I- uh, I gotta go hun. I-I'm sorry."

A small nod from Arizona signaled that she understood. Their conversations were normally cut short, but there was still a little disappointment on her end. She brought two fingers up to puckered lips and preceded to press them over the tiny webcam.

"I love you, Timothy. Please be safe."

"Of course. You be safe too." He returned the loving gesture, letting his fingers linger for a brief moment before pulling away. He stared directly into the camera with eyes that mirrored his sister's. "Hey, I love you. Take care of my place while I'm gone. No parties!"

"I can't promise anything, Tim. I'm a wild one." She smirked.

"Don't I know it."

Dimples popped on both sides of the screen, a warm smile being the last thing that each of them saw before the call disconnected. When Arizona was sure that Tim could no longer see her, she let her face fall precipitously and sighed into the empty space.

Since arriving in Seattle on an overnight flight, it'd been her goal to busy herself in a conscious effort to avoid reality, to avoid thinking about the tragic events that'd led up to her current living situation. Talking to her brother always made her feel like she wasn't alone though, so the sudden silence was a stark reminder.

She fidgeted with her spoon for a moment, gliding it over the few soggy pieces of cereal that still remained in the bowl. It was only 6 am and there was no way that she could go back to sleep with only two hours left until work.

Arizona glanced at one of the open boxes next to the couch and noticed her teal running shoes peaking out of the top. She swiftly picked herself up off of the couch and tossed her dirty dishes into the kitchen sink.

A run was just what she needed to clear her head.

* * *

"You gonna be alright over there, Torres? Mark looked in Callie's direction. "Do I need to pull over?"

His friend's head rested against the soft leather seat in his matte black Range Rover. She periodically opened her eyes to watch as Seattle's early morning traffic passed by.

Callie mumbled an incoherent response and covered her face with her jacket.

"Callie... I'm gonna need you to respond. I'm not really keen on the idea of having to clean your puke out of my new ride."

They were about three minutes or so from the hospital and Mark wasn't so sure his friend would make it.

"God, Mark... please shut up! I'm fine." The orthopedic surgeon groaned. "Why in the hell did you let me drink so much?" Her question muffled itself in the thick material of her jacket.

"Let you?! I'm not the one who ordered that last round of shots..."

"You sure didn't try to stop me."

Mark scoffed. "Forgive me for thinking you could handle your liquor, Torres. At least you had some fun."

Callie didn't respond.

Their night had been fun. She just hadn't expected such a bad hangover. Thankfully her and Mark were neighbors, so getting home hadn't been an issue.

"We're here."

Gravel crackled under the pressure of heavy, run-flat tires as they pulled into the hospital's underground parking garage. Mark figured Callie would appreciate his attempt to minimize her exposure to sunlight.

Callie reluctantly uncovered her face and turned to retrieve her purse from the backseat.

"You sure you don't want me to talk to Webber? He'd totally understand if you took a day off."

Callie pulled out a large pair of designer shades and put them on.

"I'm sure. I'm the one that asked for this shift."

"Suit yourself. Try not to vomit on any patients."

"I'm glad you think that you're funny, Mark."

"I am funny." A deep chuckle echoed from the driver's seat. "You get off at 6, right?"

"Yeah." Callie shut the door to the SUV.

"Alright. I'll pick you up right here."

"Thanks, Mark."

"Not a problem." He waved to Callie through the open passenger window and slowly pulled away.

* * *

Arizona inhaled sharply, permitting cool air to soothe her smoldering lungs.

Everything burned: every step, every breath, every muscle. And by the eighth mile, the young woman's well-toned body had been pushed to its limit, unprepared for the gruelingly steep roads that the new city had to offer.

But she kept going.

Somehow Arizona was convinced that the pain could eradicate the thoughts in her head. It felt good and despite her body's cry for mercy, she found herself unconsciously turning down new roads that led her further and further away from her brother's apartment.

When she finally did make it back to her apartment complex, the fabric of her Nike Pro sports bra was completely soaked through and her thigh muscles twitched violently with each passing step.

She glanced at her watch. 7:17 am.

It was only her second day at her new job as a barista at Seattle Grace. The gig was by no means ideal, but it was close and flexible which gave her the opportunity to save up money while she completed her Master's degree at the University of Washington.

Arizona unlocked the door to her apartment and began stripping off her clothes as soon as she stepped into the living space. A trail of sweat-drenched workout gear followed her as she hustled to the bathroom to take a hot shower.

She was cutting it very close, but could still make it on time if she hurried.

* * *

*DING*

The elevator slowed at the proper floor, and Callie visibly cringed when the loud noise signaled its arrival. A handful of fellow passengers stared quizzically as the well-known surgeon exited the sliding doors, presumably wondering why she was wearing sunglasses inside.

"Uhm... Dr. Torres. Can I speak with you for a moment?"

Callie bit down on her bottom lip when she recognized the voice and continued walking as if she hadn't heard anything.

"Dr. Torres! I know you hear me."

The surgeon spun around on the heels of her sneakers, cocked her head to the side, and forced a smile.

"Miranda, heeeey!"

"Mmmhm." Bailey looked the taller woman up and down. "What on God's green earth happened to you last night?"

Callie remained quiet. It was clearly a rhetorical question. Bailey wasn't the type to be interested in hearing about the late night shenanigans of 'young folk' as she would say.

"Now I'll keep this between us Dr. Torres, but I suggest that you do something to straighten yourself out before you interact with any of your patients today. And since you ARE considered a senior physician at this hospital, I presume you had already planned on doing that. Am I right?"

Callie swallowed hard and nodded. "Of course, Dr. Bailey."

"Good." The older woman sidestepped Callie and continued about her business, mumbling to herself as she disappeared down the hallway.

After quickly stopping in her office to drop off her bag and check her emails, Callie decided that it would be a good idea to grab a coffee. Sleep was obviously ideal, but caffeine would at least keep her alert until she could find time to slip into an on-call room for a nap.

* * *

"C'mon... c'mon."

Arizona ran her fingers through damp, blonde hair. She was three minutes late to her shift thanks to her inability to find a parking spot. As she turned down a new row, she spotted a small space and gunned her midnight blue MINI Cooper Countryman through the packed lot, turning into the park.

"Shit."

A small sign was bolted to the concrete post near her front bumper. It indicated that the spot was to be used for short term visits no longer than thirty minutes. Arizona dropped her head, resting her forehead against her steering wheel while shooting up a quick prayer in hopes of not getting towed. Satisfied with her efforts, she pulled her backpack from passenger seat, took the keys out of the ignition, and exited the car.

When she arrived at the coffee cart, Arizona noticed that there was only one person behind the counter. She cursed herself for leaving them there alone but was thankful that it wasn't busy and that her manager was not there.

"Hey! I'm so sorry. I couldn't find a park..." The blonde quickly threw on a visor and tied an apron around her waist.

The woman at the register finished counting out change before turning and smiling. "It happens. So you're the new hire?"

"Yeah." Arizona extended her hand and returned the smile. "Arizona."

The other barista grasped the offered hand, shaking it firmly. "Teddy. Nice to meet you."

"Same."

"Wanna take over the register? I'll work the machines and then I can show you how to use them later on."

Arizona smiled. "Yeah, that sounds good. I worked at a Starbucks in high school but I don't remember much."

"You'll pick it up quickly then." Teddy began rearranging some of the displayed baked goods. "That's a plus."

"Yeah." Arizona clocked in and then stepped up to the counter. As she did, she noticed a familiar face approaching.

"Can I get you anything?" Arizona smiled.

The woman was still looking down at her wallet, flipping through a few bills as she approached the cart. Arizona took the time to give her the once over. She was tall, about 5'9 maybe 5'10, and had beautiful tanned skin.

"Yeah. Can I get-" Dark brown eyes finally looked up. "Uh." She cleared her throat. "Good morning."

"Good morning!" Arizona glanced down at the woman's white coat and navy scrubs. She was evidently a doctor at the hospital.

There was a long pause before she finally replied.

"Can I get a uh- a macchiato?" The brunette quickly changed her mind. "Actually, just make that a shot of espresso."

Arizona typed in the order. As she did, she couldn't help but notice the other woman rubbing her temples.

"Rough night?"

A set of perfectly white teeth peeked out from behind full lips. "You have no idea."

"Well, I'm sorry to hear that." Arizona smiled. "It's gonna be $1.50."

"It happens." The woman dug out two quarters from a small compartment in her wallet. "So how did you guess?"

"Guess what?"

"That I had a rough night."

The two women maintained eye contact as the surgeon handed over the exact change. Arizona wasn't sure why, but she couldn't bring herself to divert her gaze.

"Uhm. You just look a bit frowny. That's all." The barista scrunched up her nose and pouted her bottom lip.

"Frowny, huh?"

"Mhm." Arizona handed over the espresso and watched as a sculpted eyebrow raised in confusion.

"Well, I can't say that I've ever heard that one before." The woman lifted the small saucer that held her shot of espresso. "Thanks for this. Maybe it'll help me look a bit less frowny." There was a hint of flirtation in her voice. "I'll see you around."

Arizona laughed, "maybe so," and watched as the woman grabbed a newspaper from a nearby stand before turning to find a seat. The surgeon was undoubtedly attractive, and blue eyes focused on her retreating form until another customer approached the booth.

* * *

Callie's heart was literally beating out of her chest.

For one, she had just downed about 65 mg of caffeine in a matter of seconds, but her brief encounter with Seattle Grace's hot, new barista wasn't helping either. The orthopedic surgeon was about 45% sure that she had caught the woman looking at her as she walked away from the cart. But unfortunately it hadn't been blatantly obvious, so she couldn't be sure.

Her phone buzzed loudly against the hard table top. She picked the device up and slid her index finger across the unlock bar before glancing at her home screen. Callie laughed as she opened a text from her sister, Aria, containing a new picture of her baby nephew.

After sending off a short reply, Callie turned her attention back to the newspaper she'd picked up from a nearby display. Her head was already feeling a lot better it wouldn't hurt to nab a extra few minutes of down time.

As eyes skipped across the pages, she felt someone approaching her. Callie figured that it was just another hospital employee milling about the cafe. But her eyes flicked up when the person stilled, their shadow casting itself across the table.

"Excuse me, but is this seat taken?"

Callie felt her entire body tense, suddenly unable to breathe as she fully raised her gaze.

"...Casey."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Okay, so props if any of you were able to predict what happens this chapter. Enjoy. **

* * *

"...Casey."

Callie's jaw hung slightly open, her mind working to process her ex's presence. A shudder rolled through her body at the memories of their last encounter that began to surface.

_"What? No!" Callie lifted her face from her hands, scrambling from the couch to block the front door. "Where the hell are you going?"_

_Dark strands of hair stuck to tear-stained cheeks, her usually strong voice weakened by hours of shouting back and forth. Casey stepped over a shattered beer bottle, emerging from the bedroom with a full duffle bag._

_"Wherever I want to go." She laughed. Callie's visceral response to flinch overrode her earnest attempt to appear firm when the taller woman marched towards her, their faces ultimately coming within an inch of touching. "Move, Callie!" Casey growled._

_"No." The palm of her hand pressed gently against Casey's sternum. "Please don't. Don't leave like this." Callie begged. "Please."_

_Never in her 30+ years of life had the orthopedic surgeon begged anyone to remain in it, not even her own parents. Begging just wasn't part of who she was... or who she had ever been. To anyone that knew the old Callie, it had long been apparent that she no longer knew who she was._

_Casey maintained her stance despite the resistance, feet shoulder width apart, blanched fists clenched by her side. Throughout their time together, there'd never been an instance in which she'd struck Callie. That didn't mean that Casey was beyond pushing, threatening, or using her size to intimidate the smaller woman, however._

_"Callie..." she looked her up and down with disgust. "Don't embarrass yourself, sweetheart." Her large bag shifted, falling from its perch. A loud thud sounded as it made contact with hardwood flooring. "I gave you an option, and you made the shortsighted choice to stay."_

_"What option was I given? You said I could either stay here and do my research, or go with you to a new city. That's an ultimatum, Casey. An ultimatum is not an op-"_

_"I'm still wondering why keep calling what you do research." Casey interrupted. "You sit on your lazy ass and mix shit together in test tubes, hoping that it'll one day become cartilage. Are you just hoping that someone will come along and think you are brilliant, maybe validate your career, Callie?"_

_There it was, another onslaught of demeaning comments._

_"V-Validate my career? I'm a fuckin' world-class surgeon! I work my ass off!" Despite knowing that she was a great surgeon, Callie still struggled to brush off the spirit-crushing words._

_The cardiovascular surgeon smirked. She'd never been a particularly pleasant woman, but even Callie was surprised at the things she would say during their arguments. It had become increasingly apparent that the comments were purely said to coax out a response, to add fuel to steady burning flames._

_"What I do is research." She spoke slowly. "Developing new and innovative ways to repair aortic valves," Casey's voice became impossibly louder, "that is fucking research!"_

_"Yes!" Callie threw her hands in the air. "I'm aware of the fact that you think you're God's gift to medicine!" The retort wreaked of sarcasm. "So what? Am I supposed to be thankful to be with you, relieved that you picked me? Do you want me to just give up on my dreams so that I can follow you to Ohio and smile on your arm as you accomplish great things?!"_

_Casey chuckled as she picked up her bag, placing it back on her shoulder._

_"At this point, I don't care what you do. Either way, I'm accepting the position at the Cleveland Clinic." Her jaw visibly tensed. "Now get the fuck out of my way."_

_Callie resisted the urge to blink, preventing anymore tears from falling as she stepped aside._

_"Good choice." Casey reached for the knob and yanked the heavy door open. "I'll be sending some movers by this week. They'll have a checklist, so don't even think of touching my stuff." She stepped out into the hallway. "Oh and I'm getting rid of my lease. I want you out as soon as possible."_

_The demand itself didn't bother Callie, she still shared a lease with Cristina. It was the venom in Casey's words that caused her to struggle to formulate anything to say. Before she could, Casey shut the door and walked down the hallway to the elevators._

"Callie?"

A dazed look vanished from Callie's face as she brushed off the unpleasant images.

"Surprised?" Nervous laughter passed thin lips, a weak attempt to erase the palpable tension. Casey's features were laced with both expectance and guilt.

"What are you doing in my hospital?" The question emerged coldly.

Casey pushed back professionally layered, dirty blonde hair and shoved both hands into the pockets of her expensive, factory-worn jeans.

"I told you that I was thinking of-"

"Yeah, that you were _thinking _of coming back to Seattle. Not that you had already booked a flight."

"Was it really all that necessary to mention, Callie?" Casey rocked back an forth, alternating between the balls and heels of her Oxford clad feet. "You said that I should do what I felt was right. That's what I did."

Callie folded up the newspaper in her hands, moving to get up from her chair. She had just unexpectedly gone from a small emotional high to the lowest of lows in a matter of seconds.

"Don't." Casey placed her hand on her ex's shoulder, eliciting a slight recoil. She took a seat. "I know it's hard to believe but I don't want to fight with you."

Callie looked on skeptically as a folded square of paper was slid across the table top, her ex's perfect handwriting marking the pastel paper.

"I'm-" Casey coughed into the sleeve of her navy Polo sweater. "I'm staying at the Hilton across the street. I wrote down my room number." She peeked at the face of her large wrist watch. "Webber has a lot for me to do around here, but I can make sure I'm in by 8.

Casey paused and looked at Callie, hoping to see some sort of a response. When she didn't, she continued.

"Um, I was hoping you'd be willing to drop by. Ya know, maybe you can just give me half an hour of your time?"

Green eyes fixated on Callie, who was fighting the urge to make a scene. She simply snatched the paper from the table and put it in the pocket of her white coat, remaining silent while Casey stood from her chair.

"Keep an open mind. That's all I ask."

And with that, Casey swiftly exited the now bustling cafe. Callie scanned the area, hoping that none of her colleagues had witnessed the uneasy encounter. Upon noticing a momentary flash of blue out of the corner of her eye, she mentally slapped herself for not being more cognizant of her surroundings.

* * *

Being a barista at Seattle Grace had its perks. On one hand there were copious amounts of easily accessible caffeine, and on the other, plenty of free entertainment via people-watching. But, ever since witnessing her newfound crushes' tense encounter in the cafe, the new hire had been unable to focus.

Luckily, her job was done.

"Hey, uh Teddy? Any idea who's replacing me?" Arizona finished cleaning one of two espresso machines. She squinted at the tiny clock on the register. 5:45, a quarter of an hour past the end of her shift.

"Zach!" Teddy yelled from the supply closet, her attention currently on locating a new package of coffee stirrers. "He drops his daughter off at daycare first, so he's usually a little late. You can leave if you want. I don't mind."

"Yeah?" Arizona took off her visor and apron, grabbing her backpack before clocking out. "Thanks, Teddy. See you tomorrow."

"Sure thing."

Arizona's first thought was making it back to the parking garage to check on her car. Blonde hair whipped behind the fast moving barista, and she yelled her apologies as she weaved through multiple bewildered people. If it were her lucky day, her baby would still be there.

"Fuck!"

Upon exiting sliding doors, however, her stomach dropped. It was gone. Benson had been towed. Arizona blinked a couple of times to make sure that she wasn't seeing things. When she confirmed her findings, the winded barista walked over to the concrete post, leaning against it for support as she thought of how she was going to get home. There were no friends to bum a ride from yet and walking home after such a long day sounded downright dreadful.

"Everything alright?" A deep, almost gruff voice echoed through the now half-empty parking garage. "Anything I can help with?"

Arizona looked up at the massive SUV that had pulled into the spot she was standing in front of. She wasn't quite sure yet, but the man's face looked familiar. If she was right, it was the same one that'd laughed his ass off behind her crush the day before.

He extended his hand from the lowered driver's side window. Grayish blue eyes flicked toward the hospital. "I'm Mark... Mark Sloan. I- uh, I'm a plastic surgeon here." His sly, pearly-white smile immediately convinced Arizona that he was in the right profession.

"Arizona." She presented her own hand, and held up her keys with the other. "My car got towed." Her thumb pointed over her shoulder at the sign she'd foolishly ignored earlier.

"Oooh." Mark winced. "Yeah, those are serious business." He laughed. "So, you're the new coffee girl around here, right?

"Barista? Yeah that's me." She smiled.

"How you likin' it?"

"So far, so good I guess."

"Cool, cool." Mark rapped his knuckles against the side panel of his door, inwardly contemplating his next move. "It's good to have another pretty face around," a wink accompanied the brash statement.

"Wow... uh, thanks?" A look of disproval crossed the blonde's face. She wasn't 100% sure of her opinion of this guy yet, but the cockiness wasn't helping.

Her evident disapproval caused Mark to mentally high-fived himself. In his mind, there was no way that she was straight... at least not completely.

"Anyway, I'm actually here to pick up my good friend. If you don't mind waiting, I could give you a lift."

"Really? That'd be awesome, actually. Thank you."

Mark pressed the button to unlock his vehicle and motioned for her to get in.

"My pleasure."

* * *

"I did, I did. Thank you so much for the pictures." Callie's phone had wedged itself between her ear and her shoulder. She scrawled her signature onto an order, smiling when her nephew's meaningless sounds rose through the earpiece. "Give the little man a kiss for me..." Wrinkles appeared at the corner's of brown eyes. "You promise...? I'd love that. Uh-huh I love you too Aria. Mhm. Bye."

Callie ended the call.

She missed her sister. Aria's unconditional love and support had been forced to make up for the deficit created by their parents, and Callie was forever grateful for her loyalty.

A new text came through on her phone.

_I'm outside._

She began typing out her response, but was interrupted by a second alert.

_Cal... I'm a good friend, right?_

She frowned. _Mark, wtf did you do?_

Three dots popped up on the screen, signaling a developing reply.

_Promise you won't get mad?_

Callie groaned to herself at the idea of Mark doing something stupid. She threw her phone into her bag, opting to not respond to his plea. The exit was just a few strides away. She would find out soon enough.

* * *

Arizona sat quietly in the backseat of Mark's car, mindlessly nibbling her trim fingernails out of habit. The occasional glance up at the graying surgeon occupying the driver's seat yielded images of him snickering over his phone.

"So..." she began, "this friend, are they a surgeon too?" Arizona figured she should try to at least be cordial and discontinue the silence.

Mark's eyes remained fixated on his phone for a moment, his answer emerging as a partial laugh. "Yeah, an orthopedic surgeon." He continued, explaining further, "like- a uh- ya know a bone doctor... she breaks bones for a living."

"Yeah, I know what an orthopedic surgeon does." The lightness in her words hid her slight annoyance.

Piercing eyes reflected in the rear-view mirror. "Oh, my bad. Anyway, it's kind of hot, the bone breaking I mean."

As Mark continued to speak, Arizona noticed the surgeon she'd flirted with exiting the hospital's doors. She craned her neck to get a good view, hoping to catch a glimpse of her car. When the brunette began walking towards Mark's vehicle, Arizona panicked.

"Hey, Uh... Mark?"

"Sup, blondie?"

Arizona cringed at the new nickname, but chose to ignore it for the moment. "T-That's not your friend is it?"

Mark stopped fidgeting with his satellite radio settings and peered out of the darkly tinted passenger window.

"Oh, yeah. That would be her." He unlocked the doors just as Callie reached for the handle, swiftly pulling it open and jumping in. The tired surgeon completely failed to notice the presence of a certain blonde behind her chair.

"How was your day, gorgeous?" Mark leaned in to kiss Callie on the cheek, evoking an inquisitive look from the backseat.

"Mostly bad, one good moment though. I'll tell you about that later." Callie's comment was now the target of Arizona's curiosity. "But, what in the hell was that text about, Mark? What did you do?"

"Yeah, about that..." Mark's eyes again met Arizona's in the rear-view mirror, inviting her to chime in. "I want you to meet someone, Torres."

"What?"

With only slight hesitation, a shaky voice chimed from the backseat. "Hi! I'm Arizona."

Callie's head swung around at neck-breaking speed, brown eyes widening when she realized who was sitting behind her. "Oh... oh my God!" She was obviously startled. "H-Hi. I'm Dr. Torres... Callie To-... I'm Callie."

For what seemed like the thousandth time that day, the blonde extended her hand. Nonetheless, this particular handshake struck Arizona as anything but ordinary. There were no cliché sparks or fireworks upon contact, but there was something distinct about the way in which Callie's hand enveloped her own.

"A-Arizona... Ro-" her voice faltered slightly, "Robbins."

Mark observed the increasingly awkward introduction, amusement evident in his features. "Hey, blondie. You hungry?"

"Mark..." Callie snapped out of her own stupor and released Arizona's hand, speaking her friend's name through a strained smile.

Blue eyes initially failed to recognize the tight smile. "I guess? I mean I had a couple of donuts at work."

"Perfect! Let me treat you two beautiful ladies to some dinner. How's that sound, Callie?"

The look on her best friend's face made Callie want to scream, and she attempted to glare at him discretely. Callie could literally always count on Mark to butt into her personal life without invitation, especially her love life.

Arizona interrupted the now obvious tension, "I can just eat at home if you guys have plans."

"No, no!" Brown eyes remained trained on Mark for a minute, before turning their attention to the concerned blonde. "I'd love to..."

At those words, Mark shifted his Range Rover into drive and slowly pulled out of the parking spot.

"Great! I'm feeling Italian. That good with you guys?"

Each of the women confirmed his selection and rested their heads against their respective headrests. Both remained unaware of the fact that the other was mentally preparing herself for the longest meal of her life.

* * *

**AN: So... What do you guys think of Casey? What could her behavior possibly stem from? Oh, and any thoughts on how this dinner will play out?**

**I'd love to hear what y'all think. Thanks for reading! **


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